15 years to make decision – will we survive?

The sociologists state: the average age of familiarizing the drugs is 15 years old, the informed decision of stopping to take drugs is 30 years old.

According to sociological survey which was held within “5:0 za horata” project this September, the average age of starting use drugs is 15,45 years old and the informed decision to stop their use comes in average at 29,84 years old.

The survey was held on respondents from Bulgaria, Greece, Russia and Ukraine at the age of 18-48 years old. 63 persons were questioned. Also, the earliest age of start using drugs is 8 years old, and the latest is 29 years old. The extreme age of stopping using drugs is between 17 and 47 years old correspondingly.

questions to an anonymous survey of the participants of the project “5:0 za horata”

WHAT ELSE IS KNOWN

11 respondents were brought up in the incomplete families (17 %), 27 people (42 %) had dependent relatives in their families. Out of 63 questioned 24 persons (38%) have complete secondary education, 18 persons have higher education (28%). So, the addicted relatives can become a risk factor leading to drug addiction. Also, the incomplete family and educational level are not these factors.

THIS IS IMPORTANT

Among the reasons
why respondents started to use drugs the vast majority named curiosity – 38 persons
(60 %). The second popular answer – because their friends used it – 13 persons (20
%).

Among the reasons why
they made decision to refuse from using, the majority noted that it is not connected
anyway with law problems, health or difficulties in family, but these are some
other reasons – 22 persons (34 %).

The law problems affected
stopping to use drugs only for 4 people (6 %). Health problems also do not motivate
to stop using drugs – only 4 persons (6 %). Also, problems in family motivated
to start sober life only for 7 people (11 %).

Today in our rubric “their experience” is the story about the Macedonian project HOPS – Healthy Options Project Skopje https://hops.org.mk/. This organization has been working in the field of assistance…